Everton are reportedly in talks with Crystal Palace over a potential swap deal involving Dwight McNeil and Brennan Johnson.
McNeil saw a transfer to Crystal Palace collapse in the January transfer window, with the winger completing a medical on deadline day ahead of a loan-to-buy move. However, the deal fell through after Palace failed to complete the required paperwork in time.
Crystal Palace remain interested in signing the 26-year-old, who was valued at £20M in January and has less than 12 months remaining on his contract at Hill Dickinson Stadium. According to various outlets, including The Times and talkSPORT, Everton are now in talks with Palace over a deal that could see Wales winger Johnson head in the opposite direction.
Johnson only joined Crystal Palace in January for a then-club record fee of around £35M, but struggled to make the desired impact. He failed to score in 18 Premier League appearances, of which 13 came from the start.
Prior to his move to Crystal Palace, the 25-year-old scored 27 goals in 107 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur. That return included an 18-goal campaign in 2024-25, which culminated with the winner in the club’s Europa League final success against Manchester United. He’s also scored seven times in 45 caps for Wales.
The deal is understood to be a straight swap, a surprise given the Eagles’ investment in Johnson just 7 months ago. The Blues have also been credited with interest in Bournemouth’s Marcus Tavernier, as David Moyes seeks a natural right-sided option.